Carlos Beltran Update

Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, whose past several seasons have been hampered by nagging injuries, had a successful outing Monday, managing to get through a spring training workout without crumbling into a pile of dust and dying. “It was one of his best days in years, because he was still breathing and alive by the end,” Mets manager Terry Collins said during a press conference, adding that he was amazed with Beltran’s ability to pump blood from his heart to other parts of his body for a whole session of batting practice.

Quick: figure out which of the above stories is fiction, and which one is fact.

Yeah, I can’t figure it out either … I guess they’re both fictional accounts of Carlos Beltran’s status.

Let’s see … Beltran bats three times and runs around the bases once on March 6, then needs 10 days of rest before returning to “baseball activities” (this is different from “baseball games”). One day after resuming “baseball activities”, Beltran needs a cortisone shot to relieve pain and swelling in the knee. But, he’ll be ready to play in a real Major League Baseball game in less than two weeks.

Did I mention he’ll do that at a position he’s never played regularly before?

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.